AMMAN - The newly formed government of Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb got an overwhelming vote of confidence Thursday from the country's new parliament after five days of often bitter debate.
The 110-member parliament endorsed the veteran premier's team by 84-23, with one abstention.
Abu Ragheb's 28-member government was sworn in on July 21, just over a month after Jordan held its first parliamentary election since 1997.
In the past week, the premier came under harsh criticism from deputies, mainly Islamists, who said his previous cabinet had failed to bolster public freedoms, combat corruption and deal with unemployment.
Abu Ragheb responded by pledging to deal with all these issues and promised to present a draft resolution to help reorganise political parties in Jordan.
He also dismissed as "nonsense" accusations by deputies from the key opposition Islamic Action Front party, with 17 seats in parliament, who charged that some of his policies were "un-Islamic".
On August 6, Abu Ragheb outlined his policies to parliament, pledging that efforts to help the Palestinian people set up an independent state in 2005 and to end Iraq's occupation will top Jordan's agenda.
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